Hazel
by ilovemoony73
Summary: Astoria lost her sister, but Draco lost her long before.


Written for DreaG1996's "The Awkward DracoAstoria Challenge." I wish I had made this more humorous, but I suppose it was also a bad decision to kill Astoria's sister if that's what I had hoped for. Ah, well, I think Daphne's pretty snide at the end. I'm a silly person, and I very clearly do not own any of this crazy Wizarding World stuff; I'm not clever enough.

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><p>Astoria sat in the front row of the funeral home, sobbing silently. Her eyes wandered across the pictures and notes tacked to boards in memory of her sister. She had already read everything several times and the pictures where traced into her mind, but she couldn't bring herself to leave; not yet.<p>

"Astoria?" a vaguely familiar, firm but affectionate voice called. She turned and saw her late sister's ex-boyfriend. It should be her sister's late ex-boyfriend, she thought angrily. "Why are you still her?" Draco strode up to the front of the room and sat beside Astoria.

"Why is it your business?" Astoria replied coolly, sitting perfectly straight and keeping her chin high, glaring at Malfoy; trying to retain her dignity even though she was plainly torn inside, tears still streaming down her face.

"It's past midnight and no one else is here," he said, his voice gaining a quiet edge.

"You are," she snapped. "Do you think you have any more right to be here than I do? She is my sister, and I won't leave until I want to!" She shouted, standing to invade Draco's personal space.

"I love her too," Draco said. He rose as well as he spoke quietly; his voice was dangerously sharp.

"Oh, you _love_ her?" Astoria laughed humorlessly. "You think you _love_ her? She was just a baby; out of a hundred things she wasn't ready for, _love_ is on the very top of the list. Daphne was just a baby!" her voice hitched and became silent; she bent, curling into her knees and grasping around them for dear life. She cried, loudly now, painful sounds echoing in the large room.

Draco knelt at her side. Was this true? Had Daphne not been as adult as he had seen her as? Thinking on it, he realized just how young she was, in age and worldly experience. And she had broken up with him over half a year ago telling him that she wasn't ready to be tied down. She was a baby. Draco's eyes wandered over Astoria as hers had wandered over the displays put together for her sister's funeral. The two sisters could have easily been mistaken for twins by an eye that wasn't careful, but Draco noticed subtle differences. Astoria was clearly more mature to him. Her nose was slightly less narrow, her cheek bones higher. Standing out in their tears were Astoria's hazel eyes; they seemed so much more inviting than her sister's ice-blue eyes had been.

Draco reached out and lifted her face up with a gentle finger below her chin. Astoria looked at him with bright eyes (he noticed that her eyes didn't redden when she cried, as her sister's had), a question glowing in them. What was he doing? Couldn't he see that she just wanted to cry? Yet his caring touch was welcome; he was mourning too. But what was that look in _his_ eyes?

Astoria didn't have to ask. Draco's eyelids slid shut and he moved toward her quickly as she impulsively copied his actions. Their lips connected and the two knelt on the floor, kissing passionately.

"You dated my sister," Astoria said guiltily after the two separated. "She must be ashamed of me; I have no respect . . ."

"That's not true, and you can't even convince it to _yourself_. I've seen with my own eyes; Daphne adored you, she looked up to you; she wanted to be just like you. She would never find anything you do wrong," he comforted, a hand running through her blonde hair. "And beside, I was 'friend-zoned' by her months ago; she can't blame me, either," he gave a quiet laugh.

The two had a long chat and set up their first date.

"I didn't think stuff like this actually happened," Astoria said as she and Draco left the funeral home hand-in-hand. He questioned and she replied, "I didn't think anyone could possibly return from a funeral with a boyfriend," she said, smiling shyly and blushing when he gave his own dazzling smile.

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><p>Daphne laughed at the two while watched. They had hated each other while she was dating Draco, and he and Astoria were both near-seething before she broke down in tears. He definitely had issues with his temper, and she was not far behind.<p>

Daphne hoped in secret that they would give their children ugly names. And perhaps the blue eyes she had inherited from their father wouldn't be bad for her, either.


End file.
